Is anyone familiar with professional scar removal?

missdelilah · August 2014

I love that this community has such a huge range of people on it with different backgrounds. I'm hoping that one of you has some experience with scar removal. Yes, I realize that this is a silly and vain subject to bring up, considering what some people in this community are going through. I'm fully aware that this rates very low on the scale of medical issues suffered by TK members.

A few months ago I had a bad accident involving a horse, and now have some very unsightly scars down my arms. Being not a doctor, I've diagnosed them as hypertrophic scars, if that helps. I started looking in to having them minimized, and it just seems like there are way too many options for my not a doctor brain to make sense of. I know they'll eventually fade on their own, but I'm worried they won't have faded enough by the time of the wedding (late February, 2015). If anything, they seem to have gotten worse in the last few weeks, and have started to cause me pain (one arm is particularly bad). Actually, this is why I'm writing this at 12:30AM. And why it's also a medical issue, not just a vanity one.

Has anyone gone through any similar procedures? I'd love to hear about other people's experiences and opinions.

Thank you very much.

mysticl · August 2014

I used to work for a plastic/reconstructive surgeon who did scar revisions (among other things). Let me follow that up with, I am not a medical professional, I worked in his administrative office. Though you can learn a lot filing op notes. With all of that being said I really think your best bet is to set up an initial consult with a doctor. There are a lot of factors that are taken into account when determining the type of treatment to use. Since they are from an accident and are causing you pain you may have some luck getting insurance to cover the treatment.

lc07 · August 2014

I have nothing super constructive to add except that I'm sorry for your injuries, OP. And we're happy to help with any topic we can. Your problem is not unimportant because of others' struggles. And in fact, there are several posters here who have scars and are looking to minimize them or have done things to minimize them. So perhaps you're in the right place. I wish you all the best in your healing.

mysticl · August 2014

lc07 said:

I have nothing super constructive to add except that I'm sorry for your injuries, OP. And we're happy to help with any topic we can. Your problem is not unimportant because of others' struggles. And in fact, there are several posters here who have scars and are looking to minimize them or have done things to minimize them. So perhaps you're in the right place. I wish you all the best in your healing.

I don't know what your accident was like or how it has affected you other than scars. But I just wanted to add that for some patients getting the scars revised was part of their process for recovering from the trauma (both physical and emotional).

blabla89 · August 2014

I'm sorry you're going through this, OP. If it's causing you pain, I think you should see your doctor as soon as possible so that they can check for underlying medical issues. Making sure your body is healing correctly is the most important thing. Your doctor should be able to give you some general information on how much you can expect the scars to fade on their own, and refer you to a plastic/reconstructive surgeon who offers scar removal. Your best bet is to meet with several plastic surgeons and see what treatments they recommend.

No matter what, you'll look beautiful on your wedding day.

missdelilah · August 2014

Thank you all for your help. I'll certainly set up a consultation. I'm hoping that as @mystici said, I might have some luck on the insurance part. Otherwise, I could use a few weeks in Thailand - don't worry, we have a good really hospital there. My family have had a few non-cosmetic things done there and generally been very happy with the cleanliness and level of care.

The accident was slightly traumatic. I literally wrapped myself up, ignored the fact that my chin was bleeding, and got back on the horse. I proceeded to coax him through the eight jump course we had set up, then went to sort myself out. I'd like to have that level of confidence back that I had before this. I fall off occasionally; everyone I know who rides does; it sort of comes with the territory, but this was definitely the worst fall I've had since about 2000.

@blabla89 Thank you. I didn't think that there could be some underlying medical condition. The hospital websites I read said that sometime scars cause pain, so I assumed that was an unusual but not rare happening. You're absolutely right; I should check with a doctor.

And @lc07 Thank you for not making me feel as though I'm being vain and self absorbed.

Thank you all for your input. I'll book an appointment today.

emmaaa · August 2014

I don't have anything to add except to say that I'm sorry about your accident! I'll be thinking of you as you consult with a doctor and see what your next steps are.

Also, my favorite thing about this community is that they don't judge the "size" of a problem just because someone has it worse. They are always willing to help. I saw a quote a few weeks ago that said, "So if others have it worse and I shouldn't feel sad, does that mean since others have it better I shouldn't feel happy?"

kaos16 · August 2014

Not a medical expert here either, but I feel like I have seen/heard that scars need to age before you can work on removing them. That is, they might be too new now to try to fix. Although, especially if they are causing you pain, there is no harm in having a doctor look at them.

I would also like to say that scars tell a story. . . . No matter how many show on your wedding day, or any other day of your life, they are a reminder of something you went through and came out ahead of. You should wear them with pride!

Jells2dot0 · August 2014

I'm super curious for this info!!! My cancer diagnosis has left me with quite a few scars from the two cardiac procedures I had to have (so you know those scars are not great), two biopsies, and where my port was placed. My chest looks like a knife throwing practice range.

If anyone should not be feeling vain right now, it's me. But, my scars and my hair loss have been very emotional for me to deal with. So, I totally understand your concern!!

jenna8984 · August 2014

Sorry that happened to you! I'm terrified of horses. When I had the dog bite on my hand, it was wrapped up for a month without moving. When they finally said to start going to physical therapy and using my hand again, it wouldn't bend. I couldn't make a fist at all. I had scarring on the tops of my knuckles and they said that it was common for the scarring to attach itself to the underlying muscle and bone, and that they needed to basically lift and remove it the scar from being implanted into the muscle there. You could have something similar going on. The therapist used massaging techniques, as well as my own hand exercises to do throughout the day, as well as a process called iontophoresis. It was kind of like a little battery that sent electric waves through the area to loosen it up. It helped me 100% and within a few weeks I had my fist back.

ETA- sorry that doesn't answer about the scar removal itself because I still have scars, but it might help with your pain and healing.

missdelilah · August 2014

@emmaaa I do love that quote. I think I just wanted everyone to know that I am aware of the struggles that other community members are going through, and that was my way of acknowledging (very poorly, but that time of night is only occasionally conducive to thinking) the actually serious situations of other people. Also, I've seen some outright unnecessary posts where the responder obviously gets cranky with a PP or OP and says something along the lines of, "well, other brides are battling cancer! Give us a break." So, I didn't want this to end up as a "your issue is really trivial" thread. Thank you for your kindness.

@kaos16 I'll go and see a doctor regarding the pain, and see if there's anything they can do about them before the wedding. If not, I'll just have to deal with them. I have so many scars (many of them horse and cat related) that I don't give a second thought, it's just that the worst of these makes it look as though I've made a really lame attempt to kill myself, and I'm worried that I'm going to upset my family, and have to explain it a bunch of times. I'm not sure whether the cluster of other, but much less obvious, scars around it will make them feel more comfortable or not.

@Jells2dot0 I was actually secretly hoping that you might have some experience with this, but I didn't want to tag you into the conversation in case you didn't wish to be part of it. This is the most I've ever heard about your story, so I wasn't sure whether you'd had surgeries or very invasive biopsies. I think I'd definitely have a worse time dealing with the hair loss than the scars - silly, because the hair grows back once you stop the treatment. But FI always wonders why I think the saddest part of Les Miserables is when Fantine sells her hair and teeth. I'll certainly let you know what I find out. I imagine you'll be able to get any scar reduction process you go through covered by insurance. Mine might be a harder sell, because my insurance always wants to try and hold someone else liable, but I'm not dobbing in any of my friends. Plus, I did sign a legally meaningless liability waiver. No one forced me on to that horse, and I did make a conscious decision to bail rather than try to ride it out, so it's not anyone else's fault. So, after that rant, I just want to say that I have an enormous amount of respect for you. I can't imagine what your journey has been like, but come here and deal with everything like an absolute champ! I'll definitely let you know what I find out.

@Jenna8984 Thank you. Have you ever had a bad experience with a horse? I'm always partly amazed by how many adults are terrified of horses. My friends who are have little or no personal experience of them. I obviously have no idea what your story is. But you know it's a risk you take every time you get on top of a 1000 lb animal with a personality and free will, and try to ask/make it do something it doesn't particularly want to, for whatever reason.

I'm so sorry to hear about your incident with the dog. I hope you're not afraid of all dogs now. I'll definitely look in to the possibility of the scar being attached to something deeper. I haven't heard of that before. The strange thing is, that it didn't seem like a particularly deep cut to begin with. Did you do all of your work through a physical therapist, or did you consult your dermatologist? I'll definitely look more in to the iontophoresis process. I've never heard of it before, but it sounds interesting.

I think also just bummed because I've come out of much worse accidents without scarring before, but I hear it gets worse as you get older. I had one incident where I had a particularly bad burn, and couldn't use my hand for a month, and another in which someone very kindly dislocated my elbow for me. I didn't end up needing physical therapy for their of those. And surprisingly no one would ever know that I suffered a bad burn. That area of my hand just goes kind of purple when it gets cold.

Thank you all so much for your help! I'll certainly keep you updated.

levioosa · August 2014

I'm a little late, but I just wanted to encourage you and let you know it's okay to feel the way you are feeling.

If you're feeling more pain as it heals, and not less, you should go back to the doctor to make sure it is healing properly. The scar tissue might be impeding movement, which is something you might have to deal with later.

For an OTC scar lightening treatment, try Mederma. It won't help the keloids, but it will help the coloring. You can also ask your doctor for something stronger. My brother was attacked by a dog about a year ago and it tore his face apart. Thankfully he had a great plastic surgeon who stitched him up beautifully and also provided him with some creams for his face. When he was actually using them, it was making a huge difference.

jenna8984 · August 2014

No I've never been on a horse. My brother got on my aunt's when we were younger and it bucked him off so I said screw that and never tried it lol. I'm not too bad around dogs since the accident, as long as their owners are present, and I certainly don't have anything against "bad breeds" as people label them since the owners make them that way.

I didn't see a dermatologist, only the physical therapist that my hand specialist referred me to. She said the iontophoresis is sometimes not covered by insurance because there haven't been enough conclusive studies to show that it works yet. But she's working on research of her own to publish since it worked so well for me and many of her other clients. Good luck!

Jells2dot0 · August 2014

I have had keloid scars before and I had them flattened with steroid injections. But, you can still see the scars

mysticl · August 2014

Jells2dot0 said:

I have had keloid scars before and I had them flattened with steroid injections. But, you can still see the scars

The plastic surgeon I used to work for had some luck with keloids.

missdelilah · August 2014

Time2strtliving Thank you! I'll certainly look in to Mederma. I'm pleased to hear that your brother's injuries healed well. And thank you for your understanding.

@jenna8984 I can certainly see why you wouldn't want to get on horse if your first experience with one involved watching someone else get thrown off. I think I said this previously, but it kind of comes with the territory. I count myself fortunate to have so far not had any terribly bad injuries, but it's kind of like skating, and learn how to fall so that you (generally) don't hurt yourself too much. Of course, it's situation specific though. Would have helped if there hadn't been a bunch of rocks in a place where there shouldn't have been though.

I'm pleased to hear that you don't have a general issue with dogs now though. It would be so easy to develop one after your experience.

My insurance covers a lot, but if iontophoresis isn't generally recognized by the medical community as a legitimate treatment yet, I can see having issues with that one.

@Jells2dot0 I'm disappointed that medical science hasn't gotten to the point of completely eliminating scars yet, but I'd be satisfied with some minimization; particularly if they can fade the color. These are so bloody red! I'd also be quite happy with flattening. Again, my issue is so minimal. I can't have this discussion without thinking about the article I read about a woman who survived a wildfire. I was shocked to find out that she was the same age as I was! It's impossible to judge her age from her face now, and for some reason the magazine had her in some really frumpy clothing. And I think @mysticl has given us both some hope.

Thanks ladies!

jenna8984 · August 2014

Oh yea, I forgot to say my physical therapist didn't charge me for the procedure. She just charged the insurance for the time that was covered like 45 minutes or whatever, and she did that for 10 minutes and just didn't put in a claim for that time. Really awesome of her!

missdelilah · August 2014

@jenna8984 That's wonderfully kind of her! How lucky for you that found such a great person to work with.

Is anyone familiar with professional scar removal?

Re: Is anyone familiar with professional scar removal?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards